Potato-sorter.



E. HELLPAOH.

POTATO SORTER.

APPLIOATION rum) MAY 5, 1014.

Patented July 28, 1914.

4 8HEETSSHEET 1.

INVENTOH $172632 A TTOR/VEYS 1H5 NORRIS PIIrERS c0. PHDTOJJTHQ. WASHINGTON By C,

E. HELLPAGH.

POTATO SORTBR.

APPLICATION FILED HAYS, 1914.

1 1 05,427. Patented July 28, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES 3 I/VVENTUR w,w U4 .2? 7724961 flzlydch gm W A TTORNEYS rHE NORRIS PETER-5 C0.. FHOIOVLITNO. WASHINGTON. D C.

E. HELLFAOH.

POTATO SORTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5,1014.

1 1 05,427, Patented July 28, 191i 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? Law U14, Z'rn eJ- ZEZ Z QCZL A TTOR/VEYS THE NORRIS PETEk'b (30.. PHOTOJJFHQ. WASWIN 'PTONv D. C.

E. HELLPAGH.

POTATO SORTER.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 5, 1914.

Patented July 28, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. 9k .EZEMMV l/VVENTUR Erneat 52 2? ac ATTORNEYS WITNESSES THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHU, wAsHlNGTDN, D. c.

UNITE ERNEST HELLFACI-I, OF WALHALLA, NORTH DAKOTA.

POTATO-SORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914:.

Application filed May 5, 1914. Serial No. 836,425.

To all whom it'may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST I'IELLFACH, a citizenof the United States, and resident of lValhalla, in the county of Pembina and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in P0- tato-Sorters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for sortingor grading fruits and vegetables, and the main object thereof is to provide such a machine which automatically performs such operation without injury to the articles being graded, and which delivers the same at different points according to grade.

A further object is to provide a grid formed of longitudinally arranged bars or rods, along which the articles are carried, for grading the same.

A further object is to provide stationary grid bars for separating the articles into rows to assist the grading.

A further object is to provide supplemental grid bars, preferably arranged in pairs, beneath said first named bars, which are arranged in adjustable relationship with each other, and during the operation of the machine; and further objects are to provide such machines which are simple in construction and operation, which require no attention other than to keep the same supplied withthe articles to be graded and to carry the graded articles away, which are readily portable, and. comparatively inexpensive.

My invention is fully set forth in the following specification, of which the accom: panying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sorting or grading machine constructed in accordance with my present invention; Fig. 2 is a similar View of the opposite side; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectiontaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. l is a plan view thereof; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 isa view of a detail; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective, view of the permanent and adjustable grid bars; Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, view of a detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and on the line 8-8 of Fig. 9; and Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

In the drawings forming a part of this application I have shown a frame comprising.

side members a and a and end members a and a", and at one end of said frame I rovicle a hopper a formed by inclined p ates a and a, open at the bottom, and which opening is normally closed by means of a transversely arranged, pivoted, block a which is maintained in operative position by gravity, as shown, but which may also be sprin actuated.

Ad acent the end of the frame opposite the hopper is a transversely arranged power shaft 6, having a sprocket b thereon connected, by means of a chain 6 with a suit able source of power, said shaft carrying also, outside of the said frame, two pulleys b and I) connected, by means of belts b and b, with pulleys b and b.

The pulley b is secured upon a shaft 0 adjacent, the top of the frame, and which carries, within said frame, two sprocketwheels 0 which are in connection with idler sprocket-wheels c by means of chains 0, at opposite sides of the frame, and said chains are connected, at desired intervals, by means of transverse bars 0 which move downwardly beneath and upwardly upon the plate cf, the chains and bars serving as endless conveyers for any articles to be sorted and which have been placed in the hopper a, and I also provide idler, tension, sprocket-wheels 0, only one of which is shown, in Fig. 3, and, because of the block a, no articles in the hopper can pass through the open end thereof, but said block is moved backwardly by e the bars 0 to permit the passage thereof, the

block resuming its closing position after such passage of the said bars, successively.

The pulley b is secured to a shaft (Z which also carries, within the frame, spr0cket wheels d only one of which is shown, in Fig. 3, connected, by means of chains (l with idler sprockets d on a shaft d, the shafts d and d also having rollers d and cl thereon for endless, fabric, conveyor belt d movable above and below a supportin plate (1.

The shaft 6 carries, wit in the frame,

and said chains are connectedby means of.

transverse bars 0 having, each, a plurality of inwardly directed fingers e secured there-- to, the detail construction of the chain and bar connection being shown enlarged in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein is shown a plate a connecting each bar with the corresponding link of the chain and, in the position of each bar 6", outside of the chains, are guides e which move ingrooves in the side members a; and a of the frame for a reason later pointed out, and it will be seen that the chains 6 move over and beneath the conveyer belt 6Z Arranged transversely beneath the idl'ers e is a chute formed of a bottom and two side members, f, f and f respectively, and at each end of said chute, one within and the other outside of the frame, are longitudinally arranged shafts 7 and f each of which carries sprockets f and 7", respectively, for chains f and f and between which is an endless convey'er belt 7 which rests on the bottom f of the said chute, the sprockets on the shaft f being idlers whereas those on the shaft 7 are power driven, as will be described.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the shaft f is arranged outside of the side member a of the. frame, and extends to the position of a transverse shaft h and is connected therewith by means of bevel gears b and it said shaft carrying, within the frame, a sprocket h which is geared to a sprocketh on the shaft it which carries the idler e by means of a chain it, and it will be seen that the shaft 7''? is thus rotated by the power shaft Z) and thereby aetaates the e 'enveyet belt f ilil'lifig themovement er the chains and of the eonvey'e'r belt d p v To the rear of the e nv'eyer b lt 62? iearg ranged a chute 7:, formed qr bottom, and side embers t t and t respectively, sproekets i andz' being secured to the shaft fiand connected with suitable sprockets, not shown, by means of chains 2'? and d, which ar in turn connected bymeans of a conveyer' belt 41 moving over the bottom member "5' of the chute i, and it will thus be seen that this conveyer belt is also moved: with those already referred to, the conveyer belts f and i passing through the frontrnenrber ct of the frame to deliver the sorted articles at different points. Transversely arranged en the membersf and't' of the chutes just described are members 7t" carrying uprights k which support longitudinally arranged, stationary, grid bars 75 suitably spaced, these being clearly illustrated in Fig. 7, and slidably arranged in the said uprights are two bars 70 and k above each of the members f and t said slidable bars having uprights 7c and k respectively, and between the uprights is of the two sliding bars 70 are arranged grid bars it whereas between the uprights k of. the two sliding bars 10 are arranged grid bars 7c, said bars being beneath the grid bars-Z 3 and said last named grid bars are directly under and serve to support the transverse bars e of the endless chains 6 this being clearly shown in Fig. 3; the sliding bars 10* are each provided, 'at their forward ends, with a rack Z in the same horizontal plane as the bars, while the bars 7: have, each, a rack? arranged in a higher plane than the racks Z, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7 said racks being in engagement with corresponding pinion's Z only one being shown in Figs. 5 and 7, but clearly shown in duplicate inFig. at, arranged on a shaft Z rotatable in suitable brackets Z on the outer face of the member a of the frame, and said shaft 2' has a lever Z secured thereto and whereby it may be rotated. hen the lever Z is turned, through an arc of a circle, the pinions Z are revolved, thus moving the slid ing bars 712 outwardly and the bars 73 inwardl'y when the lever is moved upwardly, and reversing this movement of the sliding bars when the lever is moved downwardly, in the first movement carrying the grid bars 7: and 70 toward each other, and in the second direction of movement moving the said grid bars away from each other, and a desired spacing of the said grid bars thus results and limits the size of the articles to be sorted which may pass between said grid bars and to the conveyer belt (Z thence to the conveyer belt f and outwardly of the frame to a suitable basket or other receiver.

The fruit or vegetables to be sorted are dumped intothe hopper 04 whence they are removed by thebar's 0 on the chains 0 earned upwardly until". they fall upon. the grid formed of the bars 76 70 and 7c", the bars it forcing the sa-i-d articles into rows occupied by pairs of the bars k and k and the bars 6 onthe chains 6 carry the articles along the grid bars, the fingers e projecting downwardly between said grid bars to insure the continuous movement of the. articles, and such articles as may, because of the small size thereof, pass between the grid bars k and k to the conveyer belt (Z and outwardly, as just described, but the articles (if larger size are carried along the' grid bars until they fall upon the conveyer belt 2' whence they are carried outwardly of the machine to another delivery point, the grid bars terminating at the near side of the chute'i, as will be seen, and the articles are thus graded or sorted into two sizes in the Cir machine shown, but the delivery points and conveyer belts thereto may be increased in number, as will be understood, as may also ighe number of sets of the adjustable grid ars.

If it is desired to sort very small articles, the lever Z is moved upwardly to cause the grid bars 738 and is to approach each other, or the lover is moved downwardly to move the said grid bars apart and thus produce less distinction between the sorted articles at the different delivery points, thi adjustment being possible in the operation of the machine.

My invention therefore consists of a frame provided with a hopper to receive the articles to be sorted, conveyers to carry the articles to different points of delivery according to size, and means intermediate the hopper and points of delivery for sorting the articles, which orting means are readily adjustable by merely moving a lever during the operation of the machine and, while I have shown specific means for accomplishing the desired result, it will be obvious that various changes thereover may be made, within the scope of the following claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An assorting machine, comprising a frame provided with a hopper and a plurality of delivery points, conveyer means from said hopper to the individual delivery points, stationary, longitudinally arranged, grid bar suitably spaced, and adjustable grid bars arranged between said stationary grid bars in pairs, and means for adjusting said pairs of bars, said grid bars being arranged intermediate said hopper and said delivery points.

2, An assorting machine, comprising a frame provided. with a hopper and a plurality of delivery points, a grid consisting of a plurality of stationary bars and a plurality of movable bars arranged in pairs therebetween, means for adjusting the bars of each pair toward or from each other, conveyer means to said grid, and conveyer means from said grid to said delivery point.

3. An assorting machine, comprising a frame provided with a hopper and a plurality of delivery points, a grid consisting of a plurality of stationary bars and a plurality of movable bars arranged in pairs therebetween, means for adjusting the bars of each pair toward or from each other, conveyer means to said grid, conveyer means along said grid, and conveyer means from said grid to each of said delivery points.

4. An assorting machine, comprising a frame provided with a hopper and a pluof each pair toward or from each other, coni veyer means to said grid, conveyer means along said grid provided with lingers extending between each pair of said movable bars, and conveyor means to each of said delivery points from said grid.

5. An assorting machine comprising a frame provided with a hopper and a plurality of delivery points, a grid consisting of a plurality of stationary bars and a plurality of movable bars arranged in pairs therebetween, a rack connected with one of each pair of movable bars, a supplemental rack connected with the other of each pair of movable bars, a pinion in engagement with said racks, means for actuating said pinion to move said racks and thereby said movable bars of each pair toward or from each other, conveyer means to said grid, conveyer means along said grid, and conveyer means from said grid to each of said delivery points.

6. An assorting machine, comprising a frame provided with a hopper and a plurality of delivery points, a grid consisting of a plurality of stationary bars and a plurality of movable bars arranged in pairs therobetwcen, a rack connected with one of each pair of movable bars a supplemental 'ack connected with the other of each pair of movable bars, said racks being duplicated at each end of said movable bars, pinions in engagement with corresponding racks, a shaft for both of said pinions, a lever for rotating said shaft to move the bars of each pair toward or from each other, conveyer means to said grid, conveyer means along said grid, and conveyer means from said grid to each of said delivery points.

7. An assorting machine, comprising a frame provided with a hopper and a plurality of delivery points, a grid consisting of a plurality of stationary bars and a plurality of movable bars arranged in pairs therebetween, means for adjusting the bars of each pair toward or from each other simultaneously, conveyer means from said hopper to said grid, conveyer mean along said grid, conveyer means from said grid to each of said delivery points, and means for actuating said conveyers in unison.

8. An assorting, machine, comprising a frame provided with a hopper and a plurality of delivery points, a grid consisting of a plurality of stationary bars and a plurality of movable bars arranged in pairs therebetween, means for adjusting the bars of each pair toward or from each other simultaneously, conveyer means from said hopper to said grid, conveyer means along said grid, guides on said last mined 6011- as-my inventionl have signed myname in 'vyer means, said frame being provided presence-of the subscriblng Witnesses. with grooves for send gulde s, conveyer means from said grid to each of said de- I ERNEST HELLFAOH' livery points, and means for actuating said Witnesses: conveyer means in unison. y A. ALLAN,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing A. "MCDONALD.

80mm 19f whiz! mm mm m obmmetl f6? five (:iufiiaii each, bfyadd rezz'z'sing'fshc Gaminimiiomer 6f Patents.

. Washington, 1. G. 

